Fire Suppression by Particulates Containing Metallic Compounds.
Fire Suppression by Particulates Containing Metallic
Compounds.
(1549 K)
Wanigarathne, P. C.; Krauss, R. H.; Chelliah, H. K.;
Davis, R. J.
Halon Options Technical Working Conference.
Proceedings. HOTWC 2000. Sponsored by: University of
New Mexico, Fire Suppression Systems Assoc., Fire and
Safety Group, Great Lakes Chemical Corp., Halon
Alternative Research Corp., Hughes Associates, Inc.,
Kidde Fenwal, Inc., Kidde International, Modular
Protection, Inc., Next Generation Fire Suppression
Technology Program, Sandia National Laboratories, Summit
Environmental Corp., Inc. and 3M Specialty Materials.
May 2-4, 2000, Albuquerque, NM, 393-402 pp, 2000.
Sponsor:
National Institute of Standards and Technology,
Gaithersburg, MD
Available from:
For more information contact: Center for Global
Environmental Technologies, New Mexico Engineering
Research Institute, University of New Mexico, 901
University Blvd., SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106-4339 USA.
Telephone: 505-272-7250,
Fax: 505-272-7203. WEB:
http://nmeri.unm.edu/cget/confinfo.htm
Keywords:
halon alternatives; fire suppression; sodium
bicarbonate; flame extinction; simulation;
decomposition; absorption; potting; halons
Abstract:
Fire suppression mechanisms by chemically active
particulates (especially those due to alkali metal
bicarbonates) have been investigated for a considerable
period of time, but have received renewed interest
because of the ban on production of Halon 1301. Some
recent studies have indicated that on a mass basis, fine
sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) powder is about 2-10 times
more effective in suppressing fires than the now banned
Halon 1301, while iron pentacarbonyl vapor is known to
be about 60 times more effective. The exact chemical and
physical models that describe the suppression mechanism
of such compounds are not well established and
development of a comprehensive method of testing these
detailed models is the focus of the present
investigation. This effort has been pursued along two
paths, (a) model development effort based on relatively
well studied sodium bicarbonate particles and (b)
development of super effective fire suppressing
particles, where a highly effective metallic compound
(e.g., iron pentacarbonyl) is encapsulated in a porous
solid particle (e.g., zeolite X).
